Resources and Options for Assistance

All members of the Columbia College community are encouraged to voice their concerns related to sex-based discrimination, gender-based discrimination or sexual misconduct whether or not the behavior has occurred on-campus, off-campus or online. Depending on your desired outcome, different options for support and reporting exist and are not mutually exclusive. It is important that individuals wishing to talk to somebody understand that different employees on campus have different abilities to maintain a victim’s confidentiality under Title IX and other related federal and state guidelines.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 OR

Columbia College Campus Safety: (573) 875-7315

Confidential support resources

If an individual desires to talk confidentially about their situation, there are resources available. The following confidential advisors are available to assist you and will not further disclose the information you provide, unless otherwise required to do so by law (e.g., if the victim is a minor):

*For those individuals not located near Columbia College in Columbia, MO, please contact the Columbia College Title IX Coordinator for additional information about who to contact in your region.

Administrative response and interim protective measures

The Title IX Coordinator and/or Deputy Title IX Coordinator(s) will help you understand the process of seeking administrative action according to college policies as well as provide interim protections as needed.

Interim protective measures: Throughout the process, the College endeavors to ensure the safety and emotional and physical well-being of all involved parties. Such steps may include assisting and allowing the complainant to change their academic, living, dining, transportation, or work situation, to the extent that the College has control over these environments, if options to do so are reasonably available and upon request of the complainant. Such changes may be available regardless of whether the victim chooses to report the crime to Columbia College Campus Safety or local law enforcement.

Requests to change an academic, living, dining, transportation, or work situation, or for any other protective measure (such as a college-issued no-contact order), should be made to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator(s).

Legal options

Any person who wishes to make a complaint of sexual misconduct that also constitutes a crime - including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking - is encouraged to make a complaint to their local law enforcement. If requested, the College will assist the complainant in notifying the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Additionally, a victim may decline to notify such authorities.

In the event of any emergency, please contact 911.

As necessary and when applicable, the College will contact and cooperate with law enforcement in situations involving sexual misconduct.

Orders of protection:

If a complainant has obtained an ex parte order of protection, full order of protection, or any other temporary restraining order or no-contact order against the alleged perpetrator from a criminal, civil, or tribal court, the complainant should provide such information to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator(s). The College, in conjunction with Columbia College Campus Safety, will take all reasonable and legal action to implement the order.

Perserving evidence

If you are the victim of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, do not blame yourself. These crimes are never the victim's fault. When a physical crime of violence has been perpetrated against you, the College recommends that you immediately go to the emergency room of a local hospital and contact local law enforcement, in addition to making a prompt complaint under this policy to the College.

If you are the victim of sexual violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, do everything possible to preserve evidence by making certain that the crime scene is not disturbed. Preservation of evidence may be necessary for proof of the crime or in obtaining a protection order. As necessary to preserve evidence, victims of sexual violence, domestic violence, or dating violence should not bathe, urinate, douche, brush teeth, or drink liquids until after they are examined and, if necessary, a rape examination is completed. Clothes should not be changed. When necessary, seek immediate medical attention at a local hospital and take a full change of clothing, including shoes, for use after a medical examination.

At the Columbia, MO location of Columbia College, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Clinic is available at University Hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they can be contacted at (573) 882-8091.

*For those individuals not located near Columbia College in Columbia, MO, please contact the Columbia College Title IX Coordinator for additional information about where you can receive SANE services in your region.

It is also important to take steps to preserve other types of evidence, such as letters, emails, text messages, social media posts, pictures, etc. This type of information is relevant in all situations involving sexual misconduct, and it is likely to be the only type of evidence available in cases of sexual harassment and stalking (other than witnesses).

Emotional support and medical care

Victims of sexual misconduct may seek support through the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE or by seeking out survivor support services in their local area. Victims of sexual misconduct may also choose to receive medical support at local hospitals or other medical facilities.

Columbia College day students can also seek emotional support through Columbia College Counseling Services (Counseling Services are confidential, except under limited circumstances). Additionally, those students located in Columbia, MO can receive medical attention at Columbia College Student Health Services.

For those individuals affiliated with the military, the Department of Defense (DoD) has a confidential support system in place that can be accessed at www.safehelpline.org or via phone at (877) 995-5247. This crisis support service is confidential, anonymous, secure, and available worldwide for members of the DoD community that are affected by sexual misconduct. It is operated through a contract with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and information will remain confidential unless otherwise required by law.

If you wish that your identity and/or the details of an incident of discrimination or harassment be kept confidential, you may find it helpful to speak with on-campus mental health counselors, campus health service providers, or off-campus rape crisis resources or clergy members who can maintain confidentiality.

You may wish to consider this option if you:

Would like to know about support and assistance, but are not sure if you want to pursue formal action against the individual, or

Have questions or would like to process what happened with someone without involving police or campus disciplinary procedures, or

Do not want the perpetrator to know that you are seeking help or support.

Note: Please be aware that even confidential resources have some obligations to report, such as in situations of imminent danger and/or sexual abuse of a minor.